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“From a bleach blonde, inked up, white trash bank robber to a clean shaven, well dressed, skilled pianist and dancer….it’s hard to tell the difference between characters as Gosling immerses himself in the role and becomes the character that he portrays on the big screen.”
He is the man that the ladies want, and the man that the guys want to be.
I personally think of him as the ‘modern day James Dean’, as well as the best method actor in his prime today (runner-up: Tom Hardy), it seems nobody dislikes Ryan Gosling.
90% of men, knew who Gosling was. We all knew are girlfriends loved him, and we all knew his name went with the movie, “The Notebook”, and the name, Rachel McAdams. Little did we know back then that he would become the man and actor he is today.
Gosling’s career took a turn for the much, much better in 2010, when he was given the script based off another book. Except this one, this one was a game changer. The book and the screenplay were called, “Drive”, and now I have your attention. I remember seeing trailers for it, I remember going to the theatres with the thought of the movie would be a good ‘time waster’, and entertain my friend Eddie and I for a couple hours.
The film started. I was locked in. The soundtrack. The sound. The opening getaway scene. What got me was how unique it was, here I am expecting a ‘Fast & Furious’, and I’m greeted with an amazing surprise and true gift.
I don’t think I blinked once during the film, neither did Gosling. Playing an un-named getaway driver at night, and working for his auto-mechanic apprentice- Shannon during the day. I wasn’t watching an actor try to pull off being a badass, Steve McQueen/James Dean kind of character. I was watching an actor pull off him being himself and being a badass without trying. Fast forward, to date, “Drive” is my favourite film.
Gosling now made his mark as an actor known for being versatile and having range, but he wasn’t done and still isn’t. “The Place Beyond the Pines”, “Only God Forgives”, “The Ides of March”, “Song to Song”, and “The Nice Guys” followed.
Now that 90% flipped to 100%. Go to any continent, any country in it and ask or say his name. You’ll get a smile, an applaud, a nod or acknowledgement of some sort.
Teaming up with his “Drive” Director, Nicholas Winding Refn, “Only God Forgives” was formed. One of the most anticipated films of 2013. Unfortunately, when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival… it got boo’d, people walked out, and it received terrible reception. Part of this is because Drive was such an amazing movie, people were expecting the same caliber, if not better. Soon, I believe people will understand the film more and it’ll get more recognition than it has.
The film that solidified Ryan Gosling as ‘the modern day James Dean’ or as the most badass yet humbled actors that holds this panache that nobody can help themselves around was, “The Place Beyond the Pines”. Another movie I got to see the world promised to and that changed my life. Gosling plays, Luke Glanton – a motorcycle stunt rider for a travelling carnival. One night he performs in Schenectady, New York, where a former fling, Romina (Eva Mendes, Gosling’s real life baby momma and girlfriend) approaches him after his stunt. He finds out indirectly that she has a baby and he is the father. The carnival is to leave the next day but Luke sticks around. He meets Robin (Ben Mendhelson), a local thieve and drunk who gives Luke some work and a place to crash. As Luke gets to spend more time with his son, supervised or sneakingly, he notices that he’s a disgrace, he can’t take care of himself let alone a child, he’s covered in tattoos and dirt, wears ripped inside out clothes and notices he is the worst of the worst of ‘white trash’. He needs to make more money and asks Robin for more work, who tells him that he’s given him all the work he has for him then tells him he could always rob a bank. Luke laughs it off, Robin explains how he’s done it a few times…Luke’s anger and frustration come crashing like lightning and the two make a plan to rob a bank. Robin teaches him the basics, and with Luke’s motorbike skills, they come up with a plan. Luke soon gets greedy and comes head on with the law.
Ryan shows his range, emotion, and his own brand that nobody seems to dislike. In fact other actors envy it, some even physically stay away from Gosling as they act really weird around him (an article just came out. Type gosling’s name into Google ‘News’ and see for yourselves). Plus standing next to him will make you look like a shit Michael Mann took after a 12 hour Netflix binge,while his butler brought him Mexican and Indian food all day.
From a bleach blonde, inked up, white trash bank robber to a clean shaven, well dressed, skilled pianist and dancer….it’s hard to tell the difference between characters as Gosling immerses himself in the role and becomes the character that he portrays on the big screen. To people who do not know, this is called method acting.
He gets high budgeted scripts and role offers to them all the time. One of the many things I love about this guy is, he doesn’t do it for the money. He does it for the passion, he’ll decline 98% of those blockbuster movies to play a role in an Indie that took 1/64th of the money it’d took to make said ‘Blockbuster’. He takes a huge pay cut by doing that and that is one thing a true artist does if they are really passionate. “Blade Runner 2049”, “Gangster Squad”, and “The Big Short” are the only ‘big’ films he’s done in regards to budgeting, fellow big name casting, and paycheque.
McConaughey also turned his career around in a fashion not too dissimilar at all, with, “Dallas Buyers Club”, and “True Detectice” I noticed what Hollywood was doing with these actors. Except Matty got an Oscar, a well-deserved one at that….(suck it up Leo lovers)
Facts 101:
-Gosling & McAdams both met on the set of the film and began dating. Little did anybody know back then that not only were they both Canadian, but both born in the same hospital
-In 2011 Ryan met his current lover and mother of his two daughters, Eva Mendes on the set of, “The Place Beyond the Pines”.
-Talks with an idiosyncratic accent
-In a survey, straight men were asked what actor they’d ‘turn for’ and guess who it was…
-Also has a band called ‘Dead Mans Bones’
-Born November 12, grew up in London & Burlington Ontario…oh boy the similarities we share, and I’m an actor too. Shoutout from Burlington!
-Will receive his first Oscar (3rd nomination) in 2019 for, “First Man” (This Movie will receive 15 Academy Awards, breaking the record, including Best Picture. The film, in which he portrays Neil Armstrong has him cling together with Damien Chazelle and his artistic team again, cinematographer, production designer, etc.
ReplyI think of him more as the modern version of Montgomery Clift (instead of James Dean) in the sense that he has a way of conveying a plethora of emotions with a minimum amount of obviously visible expressions, gestures and other elements – he can do so much with a single glance. Of course, his image is much less troubled and more stable than that of Clift (or Dean, or Brando, for that matter).
He’s a unique combination of old-school movie star and modern male lead, and it’s amazing how effortlessly adjusts to just about any genre, romantic comedy to horror, musical to scifi. All in all, he’s enormously talented and doesn’t quite get the credit he deserves.
To me, he has never been as piercingly effective as he was in Drive, but it’s not the kind of role the Academy traditionally appreciates. Ditto Blue Valentine. Half Nelson was one hell of a performance too.
Yes, he should be a shoo-in for a nod next year, but he’s too young to win.
ReplyCopy URLWhat I consider to be his ten strongest performances with the ones I would nominate him for in boldface..
BA 2001 – The Believer
BA 2006 – Half Nelson
BA 2007 – Lars and the Real Girl
BA 2010 – Blue Valentine
BA 2011 – The Ides of March
BA 2011 – Drive
BSA 2013 – The Place Beyond the Pines
BA 2016 – La La Land
BA 2016 – The Nice Guys
BA 2017 – Blade Runner 2049Blue Valentine being a very close winner for me
ReplyCopy URLOne of the best actors in the game, I think he’ll get it in the next few years. I can’t say he should have won for any performance thus far, but he’s delivered some impressive turns. Lars and the Real Girl, Drive and Half Nelson are my favourite of his…La La Land wasn’t visceral enough, he was a jazz musician dammit, where was his passion??? Looking forward to seeing Blade Runner 2049 – Ryan feels like a fitting successor to Harrison Ford.
ReplyCopy URLI would have nominated Gosling for:
2011 Best Actor: Drive (WINNER)
2011 Best Actor: The Ides Of March
2011 Best Supporting Actor: Crazy, Stupid, Love
2013 Best Supporting Actor: The Place Beyond The Pines
2016 Best Actor: La La LandHe is also contending for a slot in 2017 Best Actor for Blade Runner 2049 (need to see a few final contenders before finalising my line-up).
Just to say, I’ve not seen Half Nelson or Blue Valentine.
ReplyCopy URLCheck out more of my thoughts on Twitter (@AMG_Review) and Instagram (amg_reviews)
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